Siphon breaker for oil burning



Aug. 1, 1933. H. E. LAKE 1,920,647

SIPHON BREAKER FOR OIL BURNING SYSTEMS Filed June 24, 1930 INVENTOR.

BY A 7 I ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 1, 1933 SIPHON BREAKER FOR 1 SYSTEMS Q L U N I Harry Lake, Brookline, Mass. 1 :Application June 24, 1930. Serial No. 463,377

' 6 Claims. (01. 137-161) m invention to be hereinafter 'described relates to oil burning systemsiand more particularly to a simple and effective device for'pre-I venting oil from siphoning from the oiltank and flooding thebasement in case of fire.

Heretofore a valve has been provided within the piping conducting the oil from the :tank to the burner, urged to its seat by a weightl;or

"1 spring andopened by suction produced by the oil :lfeed pump. This adds'to the duty of the pump, a strainer is necessary to protect the delicate valve seat, and after the pump becomes slightly. worn it will not exert sufficient suction m to pull the valve from its seat.

1 The device of the present invention operates on a different principle. It eliminates the necessity of providing this valve, relieves the pump from the burden of opening a weighted or spring- 2 v pressed valve, and lengthens the period of. use 0 'fulness of. the pump.. Alsolit permits the oil strainer to be plaoednearer to the burner or in the burner if desired.- g

. The character of the' invention may be best understoodby reference to the following description. of one goodform thereof shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of an oil burning system including the invention; and i Fig. 21s a view partly in perspective in section of the siphonbreaker.

Referring to the drawing,-1 designates an oil tank provided with a pipe '3 for conducting oil to the tank, and a vent pipe 5. The'oilisconducted through piping 7 from the tank to a and partly to show and describe in detail herein; The bumer may be of the gravity feed type, or it may be provided with an oil feed pump. In either case 0 suction is established in the pipe line between the tank and burner, so that if a break occurs in the pipe line, the liquid fuel will be liable to be siphoned from the floor.

The present invention employs a fitting in the form of a plug 11 having a threaded lower end 13. In the upper end of the, fitting is a tapered valve 15 having a seat 17. Rising from the top of the plug is a support in the form of a shield 19 having a fork- 21 at the top and a spur 23 projecting from the back thereof. A coil spring 25has its lower end connected to a fin 27 on the valve, andits upper end connected to a lever 29 seated in the 'shield fork 21.

to the spur 23,.and its upper end connected to tank flood the basement rises to a predetermined point.

A fusible link 31 V of usual construction has its lower end connected the lever 29. The {coil .spring Iever and link normally hold the valve in closed position. A. coil spring 33 has its upper end connected to a fin 35 on the valve, 'andits lower end connected. to a cros's pin 37 in the lowerend, of the. plug, and urges the valve to open position, but the coil spring 25 is considerably heavier, and therefore the lower springldoes not become efiective until the heavierspring is released by the fusing ofthelink 31. w r

In applying this device. to the system, it is merelynecessary to place a T union 39 in the pipe line at thehighest point thereof, and to screw the fitting into the union. It will .be noted that the-suction in the pipe line, 7, produces an inequality of pressures on opposite faces of .theair inlet valve, 15, and :the excess pressure. of the air onjthe 'outer face of the valve tends to push it ine cluding the fusible link which holdsthe valve j ward in'a direction to open the valve. This tendency-is-of course overcome by the connections inclosed. In caseof fire and melting of the .link 31, the spring 25 will be released and the, spring 33 will become effective to pull the valve-from its seat, thereby admitting outside air into the pipe line, breaking the siphon action, and interrupting the flowof 'oilfrom the tank. In'this action the ,1 spring, 33, acts on valve, 15, in'the same direction as the suction in pipe, '7; which oo-operates with the. spring, 33, in positively insuring the opening "of the valve even if it is stuck on its seat. Normally the .valve is held tightly to its seat, so that there is noloss in "the suction effect produced by" the I .pump.fi. burner unit 9 of usual construction unnecessary This device is simple and cheap in construction; of pleasing design,;easy to apply, andhas no moving parts to chatter and be subject towear and liability of getting out of order. I

While the invention has been described more particularly in respect to a system in which oil is fed from a tank to a burner, it will be readily apparent that the system is useful where other liquids are conducted, and ity is desirable to inter-' rupt the fiow in case of fire, or. when temperature It will be understood that the invention is not.

limited to the specific embodiment shown, and

that various deviations may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of i the appended claims.

What is claimed is: p 1. A siphon breaker for oil burning systems comprising a casing provided withmeans for connecting it with and in communication with a suction fuel line,- and provided with an air inlet aptherewith forholding said valve seated, a spring,

erture, a valve normally closing said air inlet aperture, and located with respect thereto in position to be acted on by the suction in the fuel line in a direction to open the valve, securing means including a fusible link for holding saidvalve seated against the suction in the fuel line, and means acting on the valve in the same direction as the suction on the fuel line, and co-operating' therewith for positively insuring the unseating of said valve on the fusing of the fusible link.'

2. A siphon breaker for oil burning systems" comprising a casing provided with means for cone necting it with and in communication with a suction fuel line, and providedvvith an air inlet aper-r ture, a valve normally closing said air inlet aper- -f ture, and located with respect thereto in position jj to be acted on by the suction in the fuel line in a direction to open the valve; securing means in-- cluding a fusible link for holding said valve seated against the action of suction in the fuel line, and

means including a spring acting onthe valve in a valve normally closing said :air inlet aperture and located in respect thereto in position to be acted on by suction in the fuel line in a, direction to open the valve," securing means including a spring and fusible link operatively connected of less strength than the spring of said securing means operatively connected vvith said valve, and held by said securing means under sufficient tension to insurethe unseatingof said valve when said securing means is released on the fusing of the fusiblelink. 1 t

4. A siphon breaker for oil burningsystems comprising a casing provided at one end with means forconnecting it with and in'communica- 'tion with a fuel line, and provided adjacentto its other end with an'air inlet aperture, an inwardly opening valve. normally closing said air inlet aperture{securing means interposed between "said valve and a part in fixed relation with said casing and including a fusible link and'I-a'sp'ring operatively connected therewith for holding the valve seated, and a spring connected'at one end to said casing and at the other end to said valve,

said latterspring being of less strength than the v 1 securing spring and held by the latter under tension suflicient to insure the unseating of said valve when the securing spring is released on the fusing of said fusible link.

5. A siphon breaker ,for oil burning systems comprising acasing provided at one end with means for connecting it with and in communication-with a fuel .line, and provided adjacent to its other'end with an air inlet aperture, an inwardly opening valve normally closing said air .inlet' aperture, said casing being provided with a curved shield projecting above the end of said 1 casing containingthe air inlet, and provided with means for supporting a lever, a lever carried by said shield and disposed substantially radially withrespect thereto, a spring located within said shield and 'connected'to said valve and to one 7 endof said lever, a fusible link connected to the other end' of said lever and to a fixed portion of said shield, and lying entirely on the outer side of said'lshield, and a; spring within. said easing oonnecte'dlat one; end to said air'inlet valve-and at the other end to said casing and having less strength than said first mentioned'spring, and ,1

being held bythe latter under tensionsufiicient n to insure the-unseating of said valve 'when the securing spring is releas'ed;.on the fusing. of said fusible link.

6. A' siphonbreaker foroil burning systems comprising accasing provided at onexend with means:for connectingitwith and incommunicationwith'a fuel lindandprovided adjacent to its; other'end with--aniairinlet aperture, van in- V .wardly opening valve. normally; closing said airv inlet aperture,-said casing'beinglprovided with a curveclshield projecting above the end; of said casing containing'the aircinlet, and provided with .a. fulcrum notch adjacent toits uppierend, athin Y I horizontally disposed: lever having a portion. be

' tweenrits ends engaging, saidnotch, and disposed substantially.Iradiallywith respectxto saidshield,

a valve closing spring located within said shield and connected to said. valve and to thei inner end of 'said' lever, a fusible link connected'to the outer to said shield, and'laspringivvitllin said casing nected at one end with saidvalve and at theother endto a part' fixed withrespect to the casing,

and held underLsufiicient tension by the valve closing spring: to insure the-unseating of #the by the fusing'of the fusible link.

ivalve'fwhen the valveclosing spring. is released of less strength than thevalve'closing spring con-' 7 1 iso end ofsaidlever and toe partfixed with respect e 

